Title: An act relating to electrical contractor licenses.

Brief Description: Requiring electrical contractors to be licensed before advertising.

Sponsors: Representatives Conway, Alexander, Wood, DeBolt, Simpson, Strow, Chase and Ormsby.

Brief History:

Commerce & Labor: 2/3/05 [DP].

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE & LABOR

Majority Report: Do pass. Signed by 7 members: Representatives Conway, Chair; Wood, Vice Chair; Condotta, Ranking Minority Member; Sump, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Crouse, Hudgins and McCoy.

Staff: Jill Reinmuth (786-7134).

Background:

State law provides that it is unlawful to engage in, conduct, or carry on the business of doing
certain electrical work without having an electrical contractor license. It does not, however,
explicitly prohibit advertising, offering to do, or submitting a bid for such work without a
license.

In contrast, it is unlawful to advertise, offer to do work, submit a bid, engage in, conduct, or
carry on the business of doing telecommunications work without having a telecommunications contractor license. Similarly, it is unlawful to advertise, offer to do work, submit a bid, or perform any work as a contractor without being a registered contractor.

Summary of Bill:

It is unlawful to advertise, offer to do, or submit a bid for electrical work without having an electrical contractor license, as well as to engage in, conduct, or carry on the business of doing certain electrical work without such a license.

Appropriation: None.

Fiscal Note: Available.

Effective Date: The bill takes effect 90 days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.

Testimony For: Most contractor laws say a business cannot do work or advertise to do work without having the proper license. The electrical contractor law does not prohibit advertising without the proper license. If the business advertises to do the work, it should be licensed to do the work. This bill gives the chief electrical inspector a tool to bring unlicensed contractors into compliance, and would make the law uniform for all contractors. Years ago, out-of-state contractors would bid on in-state projects, and would not become licensed in Washington unless they won the contract. This bill levels the playing field.

Testimony Against: None.

Persons Testifying: Representative Gary Alexander, sponsor; Mike Pettit, Gasworks, Inc.; Larry Stevens, National Electrical Contractors Association; and Dick King, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers.

Persons Signed In To Testify But Not Testifying: None.